Friday, April 20, 2012 Print Edition by Collegiate Times

Friday, April 20, 2012

An independent, student-run newspaper serving the Virginia Tech community since 1903 www.collegiatetimes.com

COLLEGIATETIMES 108th year, issue 52

News, page 2

People & Clubs, page 5

Opinions, page 3

Banding together BY PRISCILLA ALVAREZ | news staff writer

Study Break, page 4

Dorms compete in sustainability contest KATIE WHITE features staff writer It stands tall and gleaming — an imposed, humanoid metal figure. No, it’s not Michael Bay’s newest transformer — it’s “Recycle Man,” a human-sized statue made from recycled scrap metal. “Recycle Man” will soon be in a residence hall near you, as it will be presented as a trophy to the Grand Champion of Virginia Tech’s Eco-Olympics. From March 12 to April 13, the SGA and the Office of Energy and Sustainability, or OE, collaborated to run the 2012 Eco-Olympics, with the help of Housing and Residence Life and Virginia Tech Electrical Service. While it can be hard to get college students excited about something like water conservation, Tech recently began a push for sustainability and environmental consciousness on campus. There is one thing that always seems to get people motivated: a competition. “Everybody loves a competition, and that definitely makes things more fun,” said Alyssa Halle, a graduate assistant in the OES public administration and urban and regional planning masters student. The competition worked by giving residence halls points for two categories: lowest per capita consumption of water and electricity, and attendance at events set up by the SGA and OES. These events included a forum on alternative transportation and a question and answer session about sustainability in Virginia Tech’s dining halls. To make the competition fair, residence halls were split up into five groups based on size and purpose: air-conditioned halls, large residence halls, medium residence halls, small residence halls and the Oak Lane community. The hall with the most points in each group wins an award banner. In addition, new to the competition this year, winners will be chosen in the categories

for the greatest water reduction and for the greatest electricity reduction. However, only one hall, which earns the most points total, will receive “Recycle Man” to put on display in its building until next year’s EcoOlympics. “People love Recycle Man — the word on the street is that most of the friendly competition is just to win him,” Halle said. The other various sustainability initiatives on campus, such as Earth Week and Recycle Mania, share common goals with the Eco-Olympics: awareness and behavior change. “If you can get people to recognize how much energy and water they are consuming, just

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MALLORY NOE-PAYNE / COLLEGIATE TIMES

(left to right) Cort Rushton, Iona Parks and Megan Downing, wear bracelets for Hundley.

Service fraternity sells bracelets to raise money, awareness in memory of deceased Tech student honored at Relay for Life Hope was what Dennis Lee Hundley wanted to create in the lives of students struggling with cancer, but his work came to a halt when cancer took his own life. However, his mission now lives on with Iona Parks, a junior communication major, who met him last year after the Collegiate Times published an article on her personal battle with cancer. After reading her story, Hundley approached Parks with his idea for creating an outreach program for Virginia Tech students dealing with cancer. “Dennis contacted me through Facebook and said he saw my article and that he had cancer too,” Parks said. Hundley, who battled Hodgkin’s lympho-

ma, a cancer of lymph tissue, felt an immediate bond with Parks, whose ovarian cancer is in remission. Hundley and Parks became good friends as they worked to initiate the support group with Dean of Students Dean Brown. However, their efforts were put on hold when Hundley’s condition worsened. In October, he was admitted to the hospital where he remained until December when he passed away. Two days before his death, university administrators visited Mary Washington hospital, where he was being treated, to have a graduation ceremony and give him his diploma.

Hope continues After Hundley’s death, friends and family reached out to Parks. “I know people who were even closer with him had contacted me and were like ‘Dennis still wants this (support group) to happen,’” Parks said. Michelle Colandro, a close friend of Dennis, understood how much the support group meant to him. “I mean, I just know that he really wanted to start it and he and Iona had worked really hard to get things started,” Colandro said. Parks followed their words and continued to take steps in Hundley’s honor. This semester, Parks pledged Alpha Phi Omega, a service fraternity, and ran for pledge president. She was elected to the position and chose her pledge service project in memory of Hundley. see DENNIS / page three

Even just remembering to turn the lights off when I left a room was a change, but by now it’s pretty much habit.” Rachel Estariz freshman communication major by being aware of it, you can get somewhere between a 5 and 10 percent reduction,” Halle said. Many of the ways to reduce water and energy consumption — turning off lights when you leave rooms, taking shorter showers, fixing leaky faucets and unplugging power cords when they’re not in use — do not require vast behavior changes. Rachel Estariz, a freshman communication major, found the value of applying some of these simple techniques to daily living. “It was hard at first,” Estariz said. “Even just remembering to turn the lights off when I left a room was a change, but by now it’s pretty much habit.” The SGA and OES hope more students will react to these lifestyle changes as Estariz has. Their main goal is for students to recognize individual actions have consequences, and behavioral changes do not have to be lifealtering. Sometimes it’s just a matter of turning off a light.

Environmental Coalition raises Earth Week awareness Student group actively advocates for sustainability at Virginia Tech, raises awareness with Earth Week ALLIE SIVAK features staff writer The national push to engage in environmentally conscious activities has encouraged Americans to get involved. Various activist groups often emphasize simple tasks such as recycling paper and plastic bottles, turning off lights while not in use, and not littering. The Environmental Coalition at Virginia Tech is attempting to do just this, bringing this nationwide trend to Blacksburg. Founded approximately eight years ago, the Environmental Coalition embraces students who love their university and work to keep it, and the world around it, healthy. The club works on a wide range of projects throughout campus, including planting trees and gardens, working with dining services to bring more sustainable food to dining halls, promoting the use of the local farmer’s market and encouraging smarter use of energy. Environmental Coalition members meet several times a week to plan their projects and activities. Formal meetings are held on Tuesday nights from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in Squires Brush Mountain Room A, while projects are conducted on Saturday afternoons and weekly planning takes place on Sundays. The members work diligently to

Drillfield. He decided the environment was something he wanted to include in his future career plans, come up with new ideas to help and after his experience with the to spread the word and promote Environmental Coalition, decided their environmental projects. Alex to incorperate environmental polKosnett, a senior biochemistry and icy to his studies. environmental policy and planning “We have engineers, communimajor, leads the Environmental cations majors and biochemists,” Coalition’s initiatives as club presi- Kosnett said. “In cases like mine, a dent. lot of people start getting involved “We always try to coordi- with the Environmental Coalition nate with other groups, depart- and realize it’s something they’re ments and administrations who truly interested in.” get Hokies engaged because a In honor of Earth Week and lot of people think that caring to foster interest in the club and about the environment is a great encourage others to get involved, thing,” Kosnett said. “But, it affects the Environmental Coalition is every aspect of our lives, and we hosting a variety of educational want to reflect that in what we and entertaining activities geared towards students from all academic fields of study. Some events include field games, art displays It’s full of really motivated people, and a variety of speakers. One of the speakand there’s a huge amount of ers, Chuck Nelson, will different skill sets. I like that they speak about mountaintop removal to work with the university about appeal to a multitude of students. policies that actually have an Multiple events are effect on campus.” being held each day, Claire Wiklund including a celebration at Environmental Coalition member the local farmer’s market on Saturday morning. Abby Hays, a junior do.” political science major, is serving Kosnett works to reach out to all as Earth Week coordinator. Hays types of individuals on campus as has been busy planning a multia way to spur interest in the envi- tude of events to appeal to a wide ronment. range of students. While he was initially pursuing “We have a lot of fun and a degree in biochemistry, Kosnett interesting events,” Hays said. was drawn to the club through “It’s great to get as many people a tree-planting project on the out as possible, even if they’re

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CJ YUNGER / SPPS

Signs sit in front of Urth as they perform on Henderson Lawn during an Earth Week event on April 19. not interested in joining our club. We draw a lot of different strengths, which is great for our group.” Claire Wiklund, a freshman biology major, joined the group in the hopes of impacting the local community. “It’s full of really motivated people, and there’s a huge amount of different skill sets,” Wiklund said. “I like that they work with the university about policies that actually have an effect on campus.” In addition to implement-

ing environmental projects and awareness on campus, the club also works with other schools and outside organizations in the hopes of making a difference beyond Blacksburg. In October, Tech hosted the Virginia Power Shift Conference, which brought 200 students to Tech to discuss issues affecting Virginia. The weekend’s dialogue helped create the Virginia Alliance for a Cleaner Environment. The newly formed student organization serves to connect inde-

pendent individuals and students alike around the state in their efforts to maintain a clean, sustainable environment. “We like to think of ourselves as not just working in Blacksburg or Tech but as far as we can,” Kosnett said. “While our university has gotten political on a lot of issues, the Environmental Coalition isn’t just here to push some sort of environmental line—we’re here for the students to make the university that we all love into a more beautiful, equitable, and sustainable place.”

aprill 20, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Club spreads Earth Week awareness

what you’re saying On Stadium Woods allowing handson, free education Karen: Great stories - thanks for sharing. Save the woods AND build the athletic facility. Athletes can walk the extra minute (or RUN and get there even faster!). Kara: Beautiful article!!! John’s class restored my dedication to stay in school so I’m really happy to read such a great recollection of dendro. Save the woods for future classes and life lessons! On BOV to discuss tuition proposal

ALLIE SIVAK mct campus WASHINGTON — Retired space shuttle Discovery streaked across the sky one last time Tuesday, piggybacking on a modified Boeing 747 jetliner to Washington Dulles International Airport as it headed for its final resting place: on display at the Smithsonian Institution. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Caroline Boucher, who was visiting from Bangor, Pa. Tourists and locals gathered on the National Mall, on rooftops and at other sites around the nation’s capital to see the historic shuttle in flight before it goes on permanent display at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Va. A 7-year-old boy dressed as an astronaut posed for pictures as his sister stomped on a toy air pump, firing a foam rocket into the air. Bystanders gazed with binoculars, pointing and taking photos as the conjoined crafts took a tandem flight over Washington at an altitude of 1,500 feet — less than three times the height of the Washington Monument — perfect for viewing. “Wow,” Boucher said. “That’s so cool.” The monstrous pairing made three passes over the National Mall, where more than 100 spectators had gathered around the Washington Monument. Onlookers gasped, cheered, oohed and aahed, breaking into applause once Discovery cruised out of sight for the last time. “I feel like I should burst into patriotic song,” said Meg Cuvellier, a nurse from Litchfield, N.H. With more flights into space than any other craft, Discovery has circled Earth 5,628 times and carried 246 crew members to orbit. During a mission in 1998, one of those crew members was astronaut John Glenn, then 77 years old. The former senator — the first American to orbit Earth, in 1962 — became the oldest astronaut to fly into space.

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The space shuttle Discovery ends its ﬁnal ﬂight, arriving at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia. The historical significance resonated for Lisa Percival of Seattle, who was in Washington on a one-day layover and staying three blocks from the Mall. Percival was in kindergarten when Glenn made his first voyage into space. “I remember they brought the entire school into the gym and we all watched the flight on a 12-inch black-and-white TV, and here we are all these years later,” Percival said. “It’s extraordinary.” Percival walked from her hotel to watch Discovery as it passed behind the U.S. Capitol. “I had tears in my eyes and goose bumps,” she said. “I never dreamed I would see a sight like that.” Like giant steel Russian dolls stacked one atop the other, the 175,000-pound shuttle balanced on three struts sticking out from atop the carrier aircraft, a fourengine, intercontinental-range jumbo jet used to transport NASA spacecraft. The two crafts were joined by a crane and scaffolding that hoisted the shuttle in the air, allowing its escort plane to taxi into position underneath.

“Discovery has done the full scope of human spaceflight,” said Isabel Lara, a spokeswoman for the National Air and Space Museum. “It has had every type of mission, so it fully represents what the space shuttle program accomplished.” In 1990, Discovery deployed the Hubble telescope and played an integral role in the International Space Station’s development. The first Americans to return to space after the Challenger and Columbia disasters flew on the wings of Discovery. On March 9, 2011, the shuttle completed its 39th and final mission. It’s the first of the three active shuttles to be retired by NASA. “The shuttle is easily the most sophisticated flying machine ever devised, and anybody who sees the flyover of Discovery is seeing a very, very historic spacecraft,” said Pat Duggins, the author of “Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program.” NASA will officially hand over the shuttle to the Smithsonian during a ceremony Thursday at

Discovery’s new home. Glenn and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden are among the scheduled speakers. “It is an icon and it will join its colleagues — the Apollo command module, the Wright Flyer and the Concord — in the museum’s collection,” Lara said. The Smithsonian will celebrate its new acquisition with four days of special events, including film viewings, performances and appearances by Discovery crew members. As the shuttle program retires, NASA is at work designing and building “the most powerful rocket ever that will take Americans deeper and farther into space than ever before,” said Michael Curie, a spokesman for NASA. “With the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, the orbiters are being placed in museums, where generations of Americans will be able to learn and draw inspiration from them,” Curie said. “This now allows NASA to turn the page and look to the future, where human spaceflight will once again focus on exploration.”

wrong with these people? No state pay raises in 5 years. The private secotr hasn’t handed out Cost of Living Increases in 4 years. But parents and students are expected to pay more than inflation each year at VT?

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have in-state students. Reply to Anonymous: Out of Stater: Totally agree with you. BProt Reply to Anonymous: NoVa Hokie: Not true. The out-of-state demand is not declining in response to the tuition increases for any of the top tier Virginia universities (VT, UVA, W&M). The plan is to raise tuition at these schools to the same level of private school tuition. http://www.washingtonpost. com/opinions/creepingprivatization-at-virginias-publiccolleges/2011/12/22/gIQArrSMEP_ story.html

Dennis: Student inspires hope EPA rules on fracking pollution from page one

“I wanted to raise money to get a tree for him on campus. We did three days of bake sales and sold violet bracelets for Hodgkin’s lymphoma that say ‘We remember, Dennis Lee Hundley’,” Peters said. Within three days, they raised $800 and will continue trying to raise money at today’s Relay for Life events. “Hopefully, we’ll get a tree for him and the rest of the proceeds will go to Livestrong in his name,” Peters said. The tree will not be Hundley’s only memorial; he will also be recognized during the dedication ceremony at Relay.

Relay for Life This year friends and family will participate on the Relay team dedicated to Hundley, Team Dennis. The team began with Hundley, but will now serve as a way to remember him. Though the team started three years ago after Hundley was diagnosed with cancer, this will be the first year without him present. “It will definitely be a lot harder for everyone without him being there because he’s been at all of them,” said Kevin Hundley, Dennis Hundley’s brother.

According to Colandro, the team has made t-shirts and held an event at Top of the Stairs to raise money in the past. This year at Relay, they will be wearing and selling the violet bracelets in his honor. In addition to remembrance through his team, Virginia Tech Relay for Life will also honor Hundley’s continuous efforts of hope at the Luminaria Ceremony. Luminaria bags are white paper bags illuminated with a candle at dark in memory and in honor of friends and family with cancer. Each of the bags is personalized and placed along the track. During the event, luminaria bags will also line the steps of Burrus Hall. The word ‘hope’ will be spelled out in letters made comprised of luminarias. According to Anna Tobia, director of Relay for Life, one letter usually consists of 20 or so bags. The entire letter P will be dedicated in Hundley’s name. When they are illuminated, the crowd silences to remember those lost to cancer and those who continue to battle it. At this time, each letter of the word “hope” will be read. “We are dedicating each letter of ‘hope’ to a special individual and Dennis will be the P,” Tobia said, “We’re sending out an email to any participants, so they can

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donate in memory or in honor of any of the four people.” The donations will be placed in a bag with Hundley’s name on it and they will be shaped in their designated letter. “It’s like a fundraiser in their honor, and then how many bags are brought for that person will make up those letters. It’s a way for us to remember them,” Tobia said. “I’m glad that so many people have been willing to step up and help do stuff, so he’ll be remembered this year, since it’s the first year (without him). It’s cool to see so many people that loved him enough to do stuff like this,” said Kevin Hundley.

Continuing to remember Ideas are still being passed around in other ways to honor Dennis Hundley, one of which is doing a university scholarship in his memory. Despite his struggle with cancer, he was still in the top 10 percent of his class and top 4 percent among history majors. “He was always just so happy and so smart,” Colandro said, “Always just living life and fun to be around.” Hundley will continue to represent hope even though he is not present — he lives on among his friends and family and in Relay.

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NEELA BANERJEE mct campus WASHINGTON — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued regulations that for the first time will curtail air pollution from natural gas wells that use a controversial production technique known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking. The regulations will limit emissions of volatile organic compounds, which react with sunlight to create smog. The rules also will curb carcinogens and methane, the main component of natural gas and a potent contributor to climate change. The rules are expected to affect about 11,000 new wells annually that undergo fracking and an additional 1,200 that are re-fracked to boost production. The rules go into effect in 60 days, but the EPA gave the industry a three-year transition period to install technology to capture methane. Most environmentalists welcomed the new rules, although some expressed disappointment over the three-year phase-in of the methane-capturing requirement. “Obviously, this will be an improvement from the status quo,” said Frank O’Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch. “But the delays mean a heck of a lot of smog-forming emissions during the next several years. Breathers will pay that price.”

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Industry groups, however, complained that the rules were still too onerous, especially for smaller companies. They asserted that the EPA’s data are faulty, a charge that the EPA denied, and could stunt the growth of natural gas development. Barry Russell, chief executive of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, said the effect of the rules on independent oil and natural gas producers, which drill 95 percent of wells, as well as on the economy and the national security has the “potential to be profound.” Much of the air pollution at gas sites escapes after the well is drilled but before it is linked to pipelines to take the gas to processing plants and closer to market, said Robin Cooley, a lawyer for Earthjustice, which sued the EPA to get the new pollution standards. Methane is far more powerful than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas if it is simply vented into the air. Companies now let methane escape or burn it, or they capture and sell it as natural gas, a process referred to as “green completion.” Nearly half of all companies that frack use green-completion technologies, according to the EPA. The industry complained that if a nationwide requirement to install green-completion technology were to go into effect this year, there would be too

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few green-completion companies to meet the increased demand from drillers, making it more expensive to comply with the regulations. Under the new rules, companies could burn, or flare, their methane for the next three years. By the start of 2015, all fracking sites will have to capture any methane. “By ensuring the capture of gases that were previously released to pollute our air and threaten our climate, these updated standards will not only protect our health but also lead to more product for fuel suppliers to bring to market,” EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said. The rules come at a time when more attention is being paid to the effect of emissions from fracking sites on human health. Fracking involves shooting high volumes of water and sand laced with chemicals deep underground to break rock formations and unlock reservoirs of oil and gas. So far, health concerns have centered on fracking’s possible effect on water supplies. But a recent three-year study by the Colorado School of Public Health indicated that air pollution may contribute to “acute and chronic health problems for those living near natural gas drilling sites.” So far, Wyoming and Colorado require companies to use the green-completion process.

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opinions

editors: scott masselli, sean simons opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com/ 540.231.9865

april 20, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

Justice Dept. looked over in Apple Inc. case T

he Justice Department filed suit last week against Apple Inc. and two major book publishers, Macmillan and Penguin Group USA, accusing them of colluding in 2010 to raise the prices of e-books. Three other publishers that were investigated — Hachette, Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins — agreed to a settlement, which Sharis A. Pozen, the acting director of the Justice Department's antitrust division, said "will begin to undo the harm caused by the companies' anticompetitive conduct, and will restore price competition so that consumers can pay lower prices for their e-books." Not likely. What this lawsuit probably will do instead is return to Amazon the power to monopolize the e-book market through predatory pricing to the detriment of publishers, authors and, ultimately, readers. I am one of the authors. My books are published by Henry Holt/Times Books, which is owned by Macmillan. Several years ago, when the e-book market began to take off, Amazon introduced the Kindle and began selling electronic copies of my books, along with those of thousands of other authors, for $9.99 each. That's deeply discounted from the $13.99 price they paid publishers on average. Why would Amazon willingly lose so much money on sales? To monopolize the e-book/e-reader market by driving out competitors who couldn't afford to slash prices. We authors were concerned about how this might affect our ability to make a living and how our publishers would stay in business. The chief executive of Macmillan, John Sargent, in fact, met with the vice president in charge of content for the Kindle, Russ Grandinetti, in early 2010 to deliver an ultimatum and explain why Amazon's $9.99 discount pricing model would put book publishers out of business. Amazon responded by immediately pulling Macmillan books off its website. With so much content from other publishers, Amazon thought it could afford to ignore Macmillan. At that time I wondered if the trustbusters from the Justice Department would swoop in to put a stop to Amazon's predatory pricing practices, but Steve Jobs, the iPad and Apple had already come to the rescue. Other publishers, which knew that Apple would provide an alternative e-book outlet, were planning to join Macmillan in demanding to set prices based on their production and marketing costs — you know, the way everyone else in the business does it. Suddenly, Amazon backed down; it posted on its website that it would "capitulate and accept Macmillan's terms." So it was all good, right? Not in the eyes of the Justice Department. Jobs had realized that Apple was big enough to stand up to Amazon, but because he wasn't a bookseller or a publisher, he had no content. So he had brought together the major New York

publishers to work out a pricing model they could live with and he would agree to for the iPad — and by the way, stop Amazon's monopolistic approach. For the Justice Department, Jobs' solution — especially his rallying of the publishers — was an easy target: collusion in price setting. Tellingly, it is not suing Random House, which also had made deals with Apple and Amazon to set its prices. Why? Because Random House did not meet with the other publishers and Jobs. In fact, what seems to have raised the ire of the Justice Department more than anything else is the fact that, as noted in its lawsuit, these publishing CEOs met "in private dining rooms of upscale Manhattan restaurants" to "discuss confidential business and competitive matters, including Amazon's e-book retailing practices." Even worse, one of the meetings took place in the Chef 's Wine Cellar at the exclusive Picholine restaurant, where, shockingly, "business matters were discussed." There was no mention of cigars being chomped by mustachioed captains of industry. Who will really benefit from the Justice Department's lawsuit? Amazon, of course. As a company spokesman said in a statement about the case, "This is a big win for Kindle owners, and we look forward to being allowed to lower prices on more Kindle books." Amazon will gain a government-aided advantage over the competition. As Macmillan's Sargent said in a statement: "After careful consideration, we came to the conclusion that the terms (of the proposed settlement with Justice) could have allowed Amazon to recover the monopoly position it had been building before our switch to the agency model." (The "agency model" allows publishers to set their own prices.) This sentiment was echoed by the president of the Authors Guild, Scott Turow, who said, "The irony of this bites hard: Our government may be on the verge of killing real competition in order to save the appearance of competition." The Justice Department should have left things alone. Essentially, two titans — Apple and Amazon — clashed, and competition was working. In the long run, I suspect that the price of e-books would have come down through normal competition. But now we'll never know. And the costs to the publishers of defending themselves against the Justice Department will ultimately be passed down to readers through the higher price of books, thereby negating the intent of protecting the consumers. Rather than Justice's meddling, we consumers have a much more effective tool against companies that charge a price we don't like: Don't buy the product.

MICHAEL SHERMER -mcclatchy newspapers

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MCT CAMPUS

Killings illuminate dehumanization Over the past few weeks, two stories have dominated the media, and while they happened in different places and with different people, they are very much related. The first happened in Afghanistan. On March 10, a U.S. soldier killed 17 innocent Afghans — including children. The second was the shooting of Trayvon Martin a Hispanic, selfappointed neighborhood watchman in George Zimmerman. How do these two events relate? I believe both shine a light on the how the rules of engagement of our country’s military, police and citizens allow much greater leniency in killing people of color. In Afghanistan, The story is an American officer allegedly went into a village and shot women, children, and men of a different race, culture and religions — perhaps out of mental stress or illness. Yet in his military experiences, he was trained to kill, to dehumanize the “enemy,” and to believe the logic behind his cause is just. The issue is the military’s teaching killing civilians is just “collateral damage” necessary to complete the objective. Those who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan said this happened often, but is “a cost of doing business.” In Florida, Martin is another example of someone killing an unarmed man of a different race — a race that has long suffered discrimination in America. In our country, the killing of black people, men especially, by law enforcement happens far more often

than many of us acknowledge. Fear, a sense of protecting his identity, and a belief in the rightness of his decision to shoot were surely a part of Zimmerman pulling the trigger under the “stand your ground” Florida law. But this isn’t a unique law. Groups and individuals all over the world have exploited such laws, targeting every minority in the book. Individual state and local law enforcement agencies set policies and procedures regarding when and how to use deadly force. In military or police operations, the rules of engagement dictate when, where, how, and against whom, force may be used. In both examples, the rules of engagement also indicate what forms of action and measures of force are appropriate and acceptable. I see these rules, policies and procedures as much more lax in the justification of the killing of people who aren’t white. Those who write the rules, those who enforce them and those who prosecute them have been steeped in the societal conditioning of racial and prejudicial thought. When confronted with determining what may signify hostile intent or hostile action, security enforcement is very likely to operate under the prejudicial assumption a black person is hostile or ill-intentioned. The military, law enforcement, our culture, and our language reinforce a quick labeling

of an individual by a nickname or euphemism to numb the fact someone is taking the life of another. By reducing a person from a complex, multifaceted, ever-changing human being to a “menace,” or a “thug,” it makes it much easier to oppress or kill. Our rules of engagement, policies, laws, and legal proceedings suggest harming a black person is more permissible and less objectionable. The response is very different, however, if you are white, powerful or rich. And very importantly, they set the consequences for harming or killing a person of color as far less severe, if any at all. In my Christian and Quaker belief, I strive to see and relate to “that of God” in each person, viewing each as a creation of God and as having “that of God.” Rules of engagement are devaluing the lives and humanity of people of color. But we, as a collective entity, the institutional and systemic racism. Martin’s dad has said, “I want his death to have an impact. I want it to be known Trayvon made a difference.” There is a window here for Trayvon’s death to make a huge difference.

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Environmentalism resembles religion W

ith Earth Day fast approaching (April 22), Americans might want to consider how environmentalism is becoming a new form of religion. They also might want to ask: Why is it OK to teach environmental religion in public schools, while the teaching of Judaism, Christianity and other traditional religions is not constitutionally permitted? Environmentalism has, indeed, become an article of religious faith. As Joel Garreau, a former Washington Post editor, wrote in 2010, "faith-based environmentalism increasingly sports saints, sins, prophets, predictions, heretics, sacraments and rituals." Some argue that a religion must have a God, disqualifying environmentalism. Yet, as the great American psychologist and philosopher William James observed in his 1902 classic, "The Varieties of Religious Experience," it is not necessary to "positively assume a God" in order to have a religion. James insisted that "godless or quasi-godless creeds" also can qualify as religions, which — given its devout belief system and the fervor of its adherents — clearly would include today's environmentalism. Paul Tillich, the greatest American theologian of the 20th century, similarly defined religion as a comprehensive belief system that seeks to answer questions of "ultimate concern" to human existence. For Tillich, it was characteristic of our time that "the most

important religious movements are developing outside of (official) religion." The U.S. Supreme Court endorsed such an understanding of religion in the 1960s. In a 1965 decision in the case known as United States v. Seeger, involving the requirements for a conscientious objector exemption from the military draft, the Court ruled that the exemption should be applied equally to those who believe in a Supreme Being and those "with a sincere and meaningful belief which occupies in the life of its possessor a place parallel to that filled by the God" of religious believers. Even as it adopts secular forms, environmentalism borrows to a surprising degree from Jewish and Christian history. For example, it says in Deuteronomy that, for those who worship false idols, God "will send disease among you ... fever, infections, plague and war.... (and) will blight your crops." In 2010, Al Gore similarly foresaw environmental sinners headed toward calamity on a biblical scale, facing rising seas, "stronger and more destructive" hurricanes and droughts "getting longer and deeper." In contemporary environmentalism, the largest religious debts are owed to Calvinism. It was John Calvin who wrote that God has "revealed himself and daily discloses himself in the whole workmanship

of the universe." For both Calvin and environmentalism, the natural world is the artwork of God, the Creation. Man's role is to conserve God's work. Thus, the rituals of environmentalism celebrate reduced consumption — lowering the heat, driving fewer miles, using less water, living in smaller houses, having fewer children. Limiting human appetites, rather than satisfying ever-growing demands, is the environmental command. As prominent an environmentalist as David Brower, who served as executive director of the Sierra Club for 18 years, has described human existence as a terrible "cancer" destroying God's good Creation. Being environmentally "born again" was for Brower - and many other environmentalists - the only good answer to modern man's environmental corruption and sinfulness. The issue posed by environmentalism today for those who believe in the separation of church and state is the following: Does it make sense constitutionally to prohibit the teaching and embrace of Judaism and Protestantism in official public settings, while permitting the government establishment — as taught in the public schools — of this new secularized Protestantism: the religion of green, the religion of Earth Day.

ROBERT H. NELSON -mcclatchy newspapers

Collegiate Times Editorial Staff Editor in Chief: Zach Crizer Managing Editor: Lindsey Brookbank Design Editors: Danielle Buynak, Victoria Zigadlo Public Editor: Justin Graves Web Editor: Sarah Watson News Editors: Nick Cafferky, Michelle Sutherland News Reporters: Josh Higgins, Cody Owens, Erin Chapman News Staff Writers: Priscila Alvarez, Tauhid Chappell, Abby Harris, Sean Hayden, Gina Paterson, Ashley Seagar, Kelsey Jo Starr Features Editors: Chelsea Gunter, Patrick Murphy Features Reporters: Nick Smirniotopoulos, Emma Goddard Features Staff Writers: Courtney Baker, Jenn Bates, Torie Deible, Chelsea Giles, Madeline Gordon, Dane Harrington, Jimmy Hudnall, Kevin McAleese, Andrew Reily, Kara Van Scoyoc, Allie Sivak, Kaila Taylor, Jacob Wilbanks Opinions Editors: Scott Masselli, Sean Simons Sports Editors: Matt Jones, Zach Mariner Sports Reporters: Josh Parcell Sports Staff Writers: Eric Avassi, Zander Baylis, Alyssa Bedrosian, Cody Elliott, Taylor Hay, Alex Koma, Ashleigh Lanza, Brian Marcolini Enterprise Team Editor: Liana Bayne Training Director: Kelsey Heiter Copy Chief: Spenser Snarr Copy Editors: Nora McGann, Luther Shell, Kristen Gunther, Brittany Kelly, Jordan Davis Layout Designers: Bethany Melson, Alicia Tillman, Tanja Vogel Online Director: Alex Rhea Collegiate Times Business Staff Business Manager: Philipp Kotlaba Student Publications Photo Staff Director of Photography: Paul Kurlak Lab Manager: Austen Meredith College Media Solutions Ad Director: Brandon Collins Asst Ad Director: Matt Freedman Account Executives: Johnson Bray, Kevin Jadali, Alyssa Brown, Brian Dickson, Janssen Claudio Inside Sales Manager: Mario Gazzola Assistant Inside Sales Manager: Adam Shata Office Manager: Kayley Greenday Assistant Account Executives: Alex Perry, Kacie Nolan, Jordan Peugh Creative Director: Casey Stoneman Asst Production Manager: Colleen Hill Creative Services Staff: Danielle Bushrow, Mary Dassira, Alyssa Morrison, Molly Vinson Voice your opinion. Readers are encouraged to send letters to the Collegiate Times. 365 Squires Student Center Blacksburg, VA, 24061 Fax: (540) 231-9151 opinionseditor@collegiatetimes.com All letters to the editor must include a name and daytime phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. All other submissions must include city of residence, and if applicable, relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). All letters should be in MS Word (.doc) format, if possible. Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor-in-chief and the managing editors. Letters to the editor are submissions from Collegiate Times readers. We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed. Have a news tip? Call or text 200-TIPS or e-mail newstips@collegiatetimes.com Student Media Phone Numbers Collegiate Times Newsroom 231-9865 Editor-in-Chief 231-9867 College Media Solutions Advertising 961-9860 The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday through Friday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. The Collegiate Times receives no direct funding from the university. The Collegiate Times can be found online at www.collegiatetimes.com. Except where noted, all photographs were taken by the Student Publications Photo Staff. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. Subscription rates: $65 semester; $110 fall/spring. The first copy is free, any copy of the paper after that is 50 cents per issue. © Collegiate Times, 2011. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.

april 20, 2012

Regular Edition Today’s Birthday Horoscope: Birthdays are an excellent time to consider

one’s own health, wellness and vitality. Reassess your practices. Are they as fun as you want? Access your enthusiasm and optimism. Play with friends. A relationship could get more committed around the solar eclipse on November 13. Abundance is yours.

Piled Higher and Deeper by Jorge Cham 1 6 3 5 6 8 1

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XKCD by Randell Monroe This could be you . . .

Crossword

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submit them to: studybreak@collegemedia.com

Week ending April 13, 2012

Top tracks

( ) Last week’s ranking in top five

Somebody That I Used to Know • Goyte

(2) 1

We are Young (Feat. Janelle Moneae) • Fun.

(1) 2

Boyfriend • Justin Bieber

(3) 3

What Makes You Beautiful • One Direction

(4) 4

Call Me Maybe • Carly Rae Jepsen

(5) 5

word

WORDSEARCH: Cooking Locate the list of words in the word bank in the letter grid. P

W A

W U

W O

W G

W B

W N

W L

W T

W L

W H

WORD BANK 1 PAN 2 BUTTER 3 VEGETABLES 4 INGREDIENTS 5 TABLESPOON 6 MEASURE 7 CUP 8 SEASONING 9 SPICE 10 SALT 11 PEPPER 12 MEAT 13 KITCHEN 14 KNIFE 15 EGGS 16 SPOON 17 MILK 18 WATER

UNSCRAMBLER

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DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BE COUPLE OF THE WEEK?

shehllti

eadm

SEND US:

kdpun

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YOUR NAMES WHEN YOU STARTED DATING WHAT YOU SAY ABOUT EACHOTHER ABOUT YOUR FIRST DATE

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Unscramble the letters to solve the category “MTV

Shows”

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c e a u e u

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CONGRATS CLASS OF 2012

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he she

people & clubs

april 20, 2012 COLLEGIATETIMES

SAID

She Said: Get a feel for next fall here is something to be said when your school hosts a football game, fills the greater part of the stadium with students and alumni, and there is not even an opponent. Welcome to the Spring Game. This is the time when Hokie fans express a sigh of relief because it means the season is within reach. If there are two words Hokies live for, they are “Hokie football.” Although it doesn’t need any help, the timing of family weekend this year will help make the stadium more full than usual. Even if there is the occasional poncho here and there, it is family weekend and we all know what the main attraction will be. There will definitely be plenty of fanny packs and “VT Mom” and “VT Dad” shirts scattered through the stands for the scrimmage so be on your best behavior, kiddos. The game is more than just a good event to go to with your parents — it is a great place for pictures with your friends decked out in Hokie gear, a change from the typical Saturday in Blacksburg, and a sneak peek into the season. Now that most of our offensive superstars have moved on with their careers, it is time to see how their shoes were filled and how the team reacts to change. Although the players will be equally distributed to both teams, it will be good to see how they have adjusted and will provide enough of a football fix to hold me over until our opening game in the fall. Don’t think I’m excited? Get out of town. Twenty girls and I have already signed up for our seating group. We are casually crossing our fingers for North End Zone seats like every other group that has entered the lottery. The upcoming season is my last season and I have pledged to make it the greatest of them all. I’ve already stocked up on VT face tattoos and attire. And since we are speaking of dedication, I am

$ Campus Events

DOG WASH, 4/21, 8AM-2PM The VirginiaMaryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine invites you to Spring 2012 Dog Wash at the rear of the vet college complex off Duckpond Dr. $10 Bath, $5 Ear Cleaning/Nail Trim

Furniture for Sale BRAND NEW mattress sets: twin $89, full $99, queen $119, We can deliver 540.260.9091

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Lost & Found

living on Center Street for the sole reason of being in the middle of tailgating heaven and within easy access to the stadium. However, a new practice facility has been rumored to be in the works. It is also rumored to be put up in the wooded area in between Center Street housing and the stadium. This would completely change the dynamics of tailgating for students and would disconnect that area from a direct shot to the stadium. For every home game, I have started my journey from Center and made the trek to the stadium. I simply cannot picture it any other way. If there was a huge practice facility in between the two, it would ruin the path and alter how valuable the residential space has become to students. Even though people won’t be waking up as early as they would for a normal game, don’t think for a second that there will be an absence of tailgating. We live for this stuff. Hokies of age will grab their friends, their brew and enjoy a beautiful display of talented players tossing the pigskin around. I plan on making the day count and spending it with the seniors that mean the most to me. I refuse to believe these are their last weeks. “YOLO” has run my life in terms of spending precious time with friends. I feel like a great majority of my close friends are seniors and I’ll never get days like these back with them. One more spring game means days closer to the first of the lasts for me at Virginia Tech. That breaks my heart more than anything. Although this isn’t my last Spring Game, it begins

CHELSEA GUNTER / COLLEGIATE TIMES

the end. Regardless of whether this is your first spring game appearance or your last, don’t let the weather influence your decision to go. We never let it bother us during the regular season, so why should we act any different now? So what if the weather is calling for scattered thunderstorms? Man up and bring a rain jacket. Get warm enough before the game to last its entirety, but don’t go too crazy. Take your family to the bookstore, swag ‘em out, and bring them to the Spring Game. There is nothing like it for miles around. Root embarrassingly for Virginia Tech, and convince people there are assigned seats. Have fun with it and enjoy the buzz surrounding the well-known football excitement. I guess the only question now is which color you will be wearing or rooting for: maroon or orange? Game on.

KELLEY ENGLISH -featured columnist -junior -marketing management major

He Said: Enjoy the atmosphere As

Hokies, there are a few things that unite us: our love for the colors maroon and orange, our passion for service, and almost most identifiably, our obsession with Hokie football. In the fall, we are in heaven. With a game essentially every weekend, there is always something to look forward to. Bowl games are like Christmas, since they come every year. A ten-win season — a far-reaching goal for most schools — is a minimum requirement for the Hokies. But once the few glorious months end, we are left out to dry. We try to fill the void in our souls with basketball, but find it just can’t keep up with Saturdays in Lane Stadium. The weather turns bitter and all hope seems lost. And then a glimmer of hope appears just when we are about to throw in the towel. Symbolically, as soon as the weather begins to warm up, we get a visit from an old friend. The Spring Game is upon us ladies and gentlemen, and it’s just in time.

tailgating. Just as sometimes the pregame is better than the party, the Spring Game just can’t keep up with the preluding tailgate. In reality, the Spring Game is a few minutes of action surrounded by a lot of waiting and menial things. While this is the case, it is still imperative to our team’s success for the regular season. Only devoted football fans truly pay attention during the game. But any excuse to get together with your friends is enough of a reason to make the day great. The small amount of football only adds to the pleasure. So this weekend, call up your buddies, fire up the grill and enjoy a day in the sun. After this, we have to go back into a mild state of hibernation, waiting for our epic season opener against Georgia Tech on Labor Day.

DANE HARRINGTON -featured columnist -junior -industrial & systems engineering major

have a big announcement, selling things, need help? Free for VT students! Place an ad or announcement at collegiatetimes.com, visit our business office at 618 N. Main St. 9 am- 5pm Monday-Friday, or call (540) 961-9860. Students can come into 618 N. Main St. to place a free ad. Rates as low as 32 cents per word, contengent on the number of days to run. Prepaid. 15 word minimum. Cash, check, Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Deadline: 3 pm 3 business days prior to publication.

word Tying the knot? tell the world.

solutions: “Fashion Magazines” 1) Elle 2) InStyle 3) Glamour 4) Bazaar 5) Vouge 6) Nylon 7) Redbook 8) Marie Claire

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Taurus (April 20-May 20) Take it slow, and avoid mistakes that would cost far more time overall. With both the Sun and Moon in your sign, your con idence could make you cocky. Focus on love.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) Thank someone who’s been a nag for reminding you. You may be tested over the next few days. Stay practical and focused, and make a good impression on an observer. Smile.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) Spend less and save more. For the next two days, review the inancial and logistical plans. Conserve resources, shop for bargains, and you can make it all work out.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Travel and adventure lie on the horizon. Read the small print. Doublecon irm arrangements. Include study and research in the mix for a plot that makes a difference.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) These days are great for having friends over. Schedule meetings, as you network with ease. Many hands make light work: Take on a joint project, and celebrate.

Fans from around the country come in town for one day in the spring to watch our football team practice, and as anticlimactic as that sounds, it is one of the more amazing days of the semester. It is a true testament to the passion of Virginia Tech fans who drive from many miles away, get up early to tailgate, and spend the day watching Beamer make our boys run around the field. For the non-football readers, you are probably asking what all the excitement is about. I’ll try to break it down for you. Imagine all of your best friends in one place, with great food and drinks. Now add beautiful weather, your two favorite colors, and America’s favorite sport. Not too shabby now, huh? For those avid football fans out there, I have a little secret for you: the Spring Game isn’t actually about football. While it is kind of cool, the truth is most people don’t even make the trip for the game. That’s right; people drive from all around to not even go to the very game they’re

Lifestyle & Community

UNSCRAMBLER

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) Don’t balk at an unreasonable request. Consider options carefully. Don’t worry about status. The next two days are hot for business. Get into action!

Send your information and a photo to the Collegiate Times at studybreak@collegemedia.com to make an announcement.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) Let go of old self-imposed barriers, and open the door of your heart to love. The more you give, the more you’ll receive. Find power in balance. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) For the next four weeks, it’s easier to bring passion to work. If you get stopped, ask yourself, “What do I love most?” Bring photos in to remind yourself. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) Find comfort in your home. Repair what needs ixing. A female increases the excitement. Take suggestions, get practical advice and you love the results.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) The person yelling the loudest isn’t always right. Stop and think. Strive for balance and fairness. Get into a home project, and clean up a mess. Create love. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) Keep focused on creating income, despite distractions. Someone may want more of your time. Balance. Use what you’ve learned and keep studying. You can do this. Aries (March 21-April 19) Your attention is on inances. Don’t let it slip through your ingers ... pay down bills, stash some, replenish reserves. Stick to your plan, and grow your nest egg.